Misool Island

Irian Jaya diving

The coral reefs around Misool Island are great dive sites to see smaller critters and juvenile reef fish.

One of the favourite dive sites around Misool is the sloping wall called Kaleidoscope which is completely carpeted in colourful soft corals and gorgonian sea fans. This dive site is generally seen as a small reef fish and critter dive site. However you can also see black tip reef sharks, and squadrons of mobula rays have even been seen here.

The sloping reef starts at 5 metres drops down to 40 metres. Currents are usually mild and visibility averages 20 metres.

All the usual schools of reef fish are present including many varieties of butterflyfish and angelfish, snapper and surgeonfish. Lionfish lurk around barrel sponges and swarms of damsels dart in and out of the reef adding to the colour.

Kaleidoscope is a great dive site to see smaller critters such as pygmy seahorses. Look for them in the pink gorgonian sea fans. Harlequin shrimps can also be found, as can pipefish, including banded pipefish and ornate ghost pipefish. Nudibranchs and flatworms are also abundant.

Kaleidoscope is also a very popular night dive where sleeping parrotfish, moray eels, lionfish, scorpionfish, crabs and lobster are all seen.